But beyond the visual impression, there was, more importantly, the aural: the singing at the CCP Theater by the 39-member San Miguel Master Chorale of 11 sopranos, 10 altos, 9 tenors and 9 basses – the male and female voices striking a sensitive balance, each individual voice strikingly honed and disciplined.
Under the direction of Jonathan Velasco, four numbers were being given their premiere Philippine performance: a clutch of songs – Night Watch 1 and 11, Last Luck, Lost Youth and In Autumn by Brahms; Magnificat by Arvo Part (born 1935), Concerto in Memory of Alexander Yurlov by Georgy Sviridov (born 1915) and De Profundis by Josef Karai (born 1927). Agnus Dei from A Polish Requiem by Krystof Penderecki (born 1933) completed the first portion.
After intermission, the Filipino works ensued Malbog: Pagsilang at Pagpanaw by John Pamintuan (born 1972), San Pedro’s Suite Pastorale and Pajaro’s Himig Iloko.
Highly eclectic and esoteric though the selections were, the SM Master Chorale, the country’s first professional choir eloquently proved that it was more than equal to interpreting widely divergent classic and contemporary, foreign and Filipino compositions. Presumably, the audience was aware that the songs being "premiered" that night could not fall back on tradition.
In any case, they were excitingly, fascinatingly new to the ear, with not a single strident note, not a single voice gone astray in rendition. Cohesiveness, resonance, mellifluous blending of voices, masterful control of dynamics characterized the performance throughout. Magnificat for example, seemed like a study in pianissimos, from soft, to softer, to long-sustained, hardly audible yet still diminishing (diminuendo) lines! Agnus Dei, on the other hand, was arresting for the contrasts between the fortissimos and pianissimos. How enthralling it was to listen to the varying tonal resonances produced in the song without words – the Concerto in Memory of Yurlov!
No vocal pyrotechnics eluded the competence, skill and authoritative understanding of Conductor Velasco whose singers must have rehearsed for long, arduous hours under him. The intense fortissimos in the high register were as awesome, in their fashion, as the gentle grovelly depths in the lower.
The songs by San Pedro and Pajaro were interpreted in fairly standard fashion but, to be sure, flawlessly and expressively. How exquisite were the lilting cadenses in the familiar Sa Ugoy ng Duyan!
In Pamintuan’s Malbog, the audience had its introduction to the pulsating tribal songs from Balabac Island, Palawan, "with passages of the Koran finding their way in the traditional melodies and local folklore on birth, growth, play, parting and death." Pamintuan has done musicologists and musicians a distinct service, and it was his – and the audience’s – good fortune to have Conductor Velasco and the choir capturing, in so vivid and compelling a manner, the form and substance of Malbog.
In sum, the San Miguel Master Chorale under Velasco fully deserves its name.
Erratum: In my review of "Wings of Soul" Marge Enriquez’s lithe movements appeared as "little" movements. I trust readers will continue to overlook typographical errors because correcting or explaining them each time they appear would take much-needed space.
Essay Tilt On St. Augustine The following is a condensation of the official announcement:
Colegio de San Agustin, on Palm Ave., DV, is now accepting entries to the Best Researched Essay on the life and works of St. Augustine, founder of the religious order named after him, and regarded by fellow savants "the wisest of the holy and the holiest of the wise".
Entry to the contest, now on its sixth year, must be the writer’s personal and original contribution, and must cite references and have a bibliography. Not to be less nor more than 25 pages, the entry must be on regular-sized bond paper, in four copies, double-spaced, neatly typed or computer-encoded.
To insure objectivity of the judges, the author must use a pseudonym. The entry should be submitted in a sealed envelope bearing the author’s pseudonym outside; inside, it should contain his real name, a brief bio-data and a 1x1 photo.
Entries should be sent to The Publications Office, Colegio de San Agustin. Deadline is Nov. 13, 2002. Winners will be announced in Feb. of 2003, along with the names of the judges whose decision will be final and binding. Winning entries will be published in Search, the school’s journal. Prizes at stake are P15,000 (first), P10,000 (second), P5,000 (third).